April 11/2025: Lunch with Keith. This was pretty good. It was quiet for a lunch period. Our server "Vino" was very nice & attentive & delivered solid service. My main was the Italian Hoagie ($20.00). Came with a side salad that was just ok but not great. The sandwich itself was very good. Had lots of meats & was quit tasty. I'd do this again but just order different food. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Italian Hoagie Sandwich - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

We went for a late Valentine's dinner. Everything from the cozy atmosphere, attentive service and delicious food were outstanding! Started with a spicy margarita and grapefruit cocktail, which were spot on! I had the creamy garlic Mussel Pot and hubby had the bacon wrapped meatloaf with garlic mash. Soooo filling, we could not finish it! Highly recommend for a cozy date night. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Bacon wrapped meatloaf with garlic mash - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

See all

Have been here in the past , but was disappointed recently when we were served dinner as both of us were served cold potatoes with our dinner. Mashed potatoes and French fries were very disappointing the rest of the meal was not much better read more

Solid Lunch, had live music playing inside. The servers was sweet and helpful. The food was overall good, i was not upset with my selection. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Smoked Salmon - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

Food and service were really good. Our party of 4 showed up 10 minutes before the kitchen was closing on a Wednesday night, and they took excellent care of us! read more

Went here the week of Canadian thanksgiving, so it wasn't very busy. Dinner time. I eat dairy free, but it wasn't an issue. Beet salad was delicious even with no cheese. Instead of adding protein to the salad, got a separate burger. The pepper wood burger. I think I ordered it medium, and it was a little over cooked for my taste. Still good, though. Fries were delicious. Heard they have poutine too. Also had an Italian beer which was funny since I was visiting Canada from the U.S. Would definitely eat here again next time I'm in the area. read more

See all

Some of the worst brunch food I've ever had. The brunch for 2 is like a pile of garbage. The chef here needs to find some inspiration; it's like the food is only being put together cuz it has to be and the cooks are just trying to get through the day. The place is also dirty; the edges of our plates weren't clean, the table and seats had crumbs/small bits of food on them when we got there. It's also just dark and dingy, looks nice from afar but not up close. If I could give this place no stars I would but at least they get the one for service because it was at least ok. read more

I absolutely love this place even though we only have drinks and deserts. But the atmosphere is amazing and the staff is so extremely friendly. We always have a good time here and we've been here at least 4-5 times. I've had tiramisu in Italy, and after Italy I would stay this place has an amazing one. The portion size is huge for the dessert and they add a bit of honey on the side which makes such a judge difference. It's not too sweet or bitter and the server recommended to us and said it's very good. She wasn't wrong! I love the tiramisu here and I don't think I would order it anywhere else. It's very authentic and delicious. Can't wait to be back here just for that. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Delicious!! A must try. - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

Awesome food and great service. We had the fireplace room for private party. Everyone loved it.

One of those cheap tourist restaurants. Food was mediocre. Cleanliness was lacking. Dust on the dividers Crumbs on the table we were assigned in an empty dining area. Cobwebs on and around the ceiling and lighting fixtures. One of the bathrooms is missing a soap dispenser. Lightbulbs are burnt out. Hygiene was out the door, (literally) as they [the doors] were left open- allowing flies to enter and sit on food as they pleased. Seemingly no measures have been taken to prevent this from happening, no closing of doors, or fly traps. The only redeeming quality here was the servers themselves, notable when one of their' attentiveness shined, as one overheard me asking my mother where the salt was (on the table) and shortly after care asking if we needed more salt. Overall good for a quick meal; however, would not recommend. read more

Went for dinner on a wednesday evening. The hostess was very prompt but once we were seated we waited a while for our server to come to our table. We ordered a cobb salad and beef tenderloin. The food was good, not great, and we had to wait a while for it to come out. Maybe it was the time and day we went but it seemed to be a restaurant more geared for an older crowd. There was nothing too exciting about this place, will probably only go back for a patio drink. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

See all

You know the type of restaurant you go to on vacation that has a great view or is ideally located but in the end you leave disappointed? This is that type of restaurant, a lake front novelty. As a local, it's unfortunate. And for visitors it's a predatory misrepresentation of a quality culinary experience. It all starts with management, and in this case Pepperwoods is overmatched by its location. After ordering escargot, it took a manager more than 20mins to deliver bread - I intentionally ordered from the manager as our server was obviously in over his head on a busy Friday night. The managers appear more concerned with putting cutlery away in drawers than ensuring the experience of their guests was positive and met the expectations. The kitchen struggles, consistently, to keep up with service and often delivers food prepared below the expectation of a restaurant attempting to be a leader in the city of Burlington. The service is poorly trained with no clear objective to curate the experience of their customers - they are simply order takers. If Pepperwoods was located anywhere but on Burlington's lakefront, it would assuredly be an undesirable experience which wouldn't last long. If you are looking for a lakefront novelty and are willing to sacrifice service and quality, a bottle of wine after dinner at Spencer's or The Water Street Cooker (superior restaurant experiences right around the corner) would be my only recommendation. For ownership/management which may read this, it's time for a 3rd party consultant, you need to be better for your customers. read more

Not a great new years meal at all for any of us (4 people). Super disappointing, congealed sauces, tough meat, warm ahi tuna... yuck. Service was just OK, server could tell we didn't like the food... but did nothing. Needs a new chef!!! read more

This was my first time here. It was a very good experience. The ambience was very nice and romantic with dim lighting and all. To start off, we ordered a champagne as it was New Years Eve. Our waitress brought it in no time. She also brought some bread and cranberry butter. The cranberry butter was out of this world. We also ordered the fondue with the baguettes and pretzel. It was really tasty. Then I ordered the lobster Mac n Cheese and my wife ordered the smoked mozzarella ravioli. Both were very tasty and we were very happy with the service. Our waitress was also very attentive to us and she regularly checked with us if we need anything. Our friends were also happy with their food. To end the experience we ordered the Creme Brûlée. It was a cherry on top of the good experience we already had. I will be sure to come back again. read more

See all

Warning stay away!!! Our server had the caring & personality of a cardboard box. Music was way too LOUD. If you are looking for a quite afternoon lunch by the lake. Don't come here. read more

Such a great vibe, overlooking the water. Food is good and the staff are helpful! Love it especially in the summer but it is great all year round. My only comment - not a fan of their mussels. read more

I have been there several times of late and remain pleasantly surprised! They continue to have an excellent array of spirits and beer( not your run of the mill taps) with a recently fresh/upgraded menu! Great vibe and friendly atmosphere not just for adults but the whole family! Reasonably priced with generous portions and tasty appetizers to share! I can honestly say that I have gone up and down the menu and the food is excellent! Bon Appetite read more

The lunch menu has tons of great choices - it was hard to decide! Absolutely loved the bruschetta, great for sharing and not too filling as it's on thin bread. Waldorf salad was pretty good. I would have loved to have been offered freshly ground pepper with my meal. Also I prefer to have salt on the table. Overall great experience. read more

Went there twice first time service was good but both times good is over salted you go home wanting a river to drink . Second time ... I never had such awful service ! She was inattentive lost and didn't know anything ! On top of it her attitude was disgusting ! Her name was Riley. She then gave us a food to go box when we ordered a full pizza ??? Am I supposed to pile hot pizza on top of eachother ??? Worst part the manager defended made some excuse for her awful behaviour and then came with a bill for 50% off food ... never again I highly highly recommend not going here ... son of a peach is muchhhhhhh better ! read more

Went today for a nice lunch on the patio with my SO, he got a burger and fries. He seemed ok with it. I however, ordered half pizza and half salad. When my Margharita pizza came.... I thought for a second it was off the kiddie menu. Basically looked like a McCain thin crust pizza with some basil tossed on and two tomato slices cut in half for authenticity. It was gross and not with the $17. read more

this was a really nice place to visit and enjoy on the patio in the summer, our food was very tasty and simply enjoyed our wine and food on a warm summers eve :) read more

Pepperwood Bistro - lovely afternoon meal - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

See all

Brunch- food blah, manager worse My girlfriend and I went for brunch Saturday September 17. The waitress was good, the food was poor but the manager was the worst. My scrabble eggs were cold and rubbery. I told the waitress who apologized and brought more eggs. The new eggs were equally as inedible so I didn't eat either. The manager came over and said he'd been told we weren't happy with the food. His response to my comments re the eggs was "they're liquid eggs". I asked what those were. He said they don't use fresh eggs, they buy cartons of liquid eggs. I said, " wow, I've never heard of that". His response was " they're liquid eggs so that's fine". He then turned and walked away. That was it. There was no apology. No offer of toast instead or something like that. My girlfriend told him her fruit wasn't fresh. He said it was. It clearly wasn't. I didn't ask for any compensation but they did take a whopping $4 off the bill. DO NOT HAVE BRUNCH HERE. read more

We got the breakfast for two and OMG is all I can say. The plate had sooooo much food you could feed four people. It was hot and fresh. The breeze on the patio was amazing from the lake. Would recommend this for brunch any day. Service was kinda slow but food was amazing. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

I went here for my birthday dinner. Sitting outside was ok but the traffic noise can get loud. Service was pleasant and quick. They have an extensive beer and wine menu and a limited cocktail menu. I ordered the 8 ounce prime rib, which came with mashed potatoes, carrots, asparagus, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. It was all good, although the Yorkshire was overdone, to my taste. Everyone enjoyed their food and portions were generous. I'd go back. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Happy Birthday! - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

Today was my first time dining at pepperwood bistro and it will also be my last. Although the food was decent, we did not have a good experience with our server Brad. Seconds after he cleared our plates, and before we even finished our drinks, he brought us the bills. He didn't even ask us if we wanted another drink or any other food before abruptly billing us out. We had been sitting at the table for less than 30 minutes and the restaurant has a 90 minute limit so I'm unsure why he was in such a rush to get us to leave. After we paid, he then passed by our table several times while checking his watch in front of us. Overall, we felt very unwelcome and will definitely not be returning to this restaurant. read more

The service from our waitress was warm, friendly, efficient and attentive, but she also gave us the space we needed for private conversation. The dining room has lots of space, the booths are comfortable and I imagine the outdoor patio is lovely in milder weather. I ordered the bruschetta and goat cheese flatbread; he had the lamb burger. We both enjoyed our menu selections very much, along with the wines that were recommended by our waitress. The rest of the menu looks very appealing and inventive. Great spot to go for a dinner date. I'm looking forward to returning sometime soon. read more

Great food, great atmosphere, an amazing patio in the summer and they brew their own beer, need I say more? My wife and I go often for a drink in the evenings and occasionally for dinner on the patio which overlooks the lake. The food is always excellent, if a bit pricey. Inside, there is a comfortable area around the bar if you want to just sit and relax with one of their excellent beers or a glass of wine. The restaurant is comfortable and romantic, a perfect place for a date or a special evening. Often, on weekends, they have live music, usually a solo jazz or blues singer. The music has always been good, but not too loud. It just forms a nice background to the overall experience. read more

While rather expensive with slightly smaller portions, the quality of the food at Pepperwood Bistro makes up for it. Renovated in the last few years, the decor and ambiance is warm and dark. However, the music they played was terrible. As with most places, they seem to be stuck on some top 40 adult contemporary satellite station. I would have expected jazz by the interior. The beer is great, mostly microbrews, with a few of their own beers brewed on site. read more

What a lovely venue. My husband and I recently moved to Burlington and haven't had much opportunity to try and new restaurants so I used my birthday as a perfect excuse to explore something new in Burlington. We had originally chosen a different restaurant but they were closed, so we ended up at Pepperwoods, and boy was I ever glad!! The food was great. Started with a poutine and mussels and we each had a pasta dish for our entree. The mussels and poutine were excellent! Flavour and portions were worth the price! The pasta was just pasta, but still good in its own way. The server was lovely and very efficient. She would always notice when a cup was going empty or a refill was needed. I would definitely go back and try more off their menu! read more

I have dined here a number of times with family or friends, and overall it's been a decent experience. Last night we enjoyed a quick dinner. My daughter had the shrimp and clam risotto and said it was over-salted; my son-in-law had the gnocchi and said it was "just okay". I had the Heritage Blend salad with Port Vinaigrette --- it's delicious! Also, the Farmer's Market pizza -- I always order it without the cheese -- is quite scrumptious. (I've also had the Atlantic salmon which was wonderfully moist). Our favourite meals here seem to be lunch and brunch. Mostly the food has been quite good and the service excellent. read more

Had lunch here today with a friend, not too busy which was nice and there was a jazz musician playing live. It was a bit loud for conversation, but overall nice ambiance. I ordered the soup and salad, was told it was ham and corn chowder, she came back 5 minutes later to say they had run out (it was only 12:40), I didn't like the back up soup option so switched to the salmon salad. She said they had already made my Caesar salad, would I like to add the salmon to that... No I didn't. When it came, the salmon was undercooked and over seasoned, way too salty. The salad was good but very oily with too much dressing. The waitress was nice and provided good service but overall I was disappointed. read more

We went there for Family Day for lunch and it was better than I had expected. (Yes, I am spoiled by the restaurants in Toronto) This restaurant has a great view of the lake and I suspect a pretty nice patio in the summer. The menu had a nice assortment of items & the prices are more in the Toronto range. A coat rack would have been nice & the waiter rang in the wrong order and one person in our party had to wait. I suspect that they didn't expect tons or folks on the holiday and were a bit freaked out. This is the only reason that it got three stars. read more

I went there with my parents on Mother's Day weekend. The atmosphere was lovely, the decorations made the place feel cozy and welcoming. You can also request a table looking on the lake which is a nice alternative since the weather was a bit cold. Our waitress was nice and any requests we had were met efficiently. I ordered the lobster Mac and cheese, and my parents ordered the shaved pork sandwich and the pepperwood burger. The food was really good, but it is a bit pricey for what you're getting. My dad said his burger was a bit dry, but overall he enjoyed his meal. My mom mentioned the Caesar salad that came with her sandwich was really tasty. I personally loved the lobster Mac and cheese, It was everything I was looking for; warm, comforting and very gooey. Overall, I'd recommend this place as the food, the view and the ambience was great. read more

See all

I always enjoy this restaurant and last week was no different. Friendly and warm with parking nearby. Downtown Burlington is vibrant and Pepperwood keeps changing and upgrading every few years. There is some construction now but it is not visible when you are eating in the dining area (just at the bar where long ago there was a mini brewery and smoking rooms!!) read more

My parents and I needed somewhere to eat Thanksgiving dinner, as my new place isn't quite set up for cooking yet. Pepperwood had their full menu but also a turkey entree special Monday evening. My parents both had prime rib, and I had the turkey. Everything was incredible. Our server was prompt and friendly and my dad was still able to watch the Sox game. Highly recommend checking this place out. read more

It was average at best. Hadn't been here in awhile. Used to be very good. I had rotten pieces of lettuce in my salad. Wasn't too happy about that. Server did a great job. read more

Pepperwood Bistro - Rotten lettuce in salad. It still tasted good but I was disappointed I had to pick through it. - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Ontario

Love coming here with my wife for Sunday brunch. Nothing better than sitting on the patio right along Lakeshore listening to Michael Macguire and his 7-string guitar. Breakfast is nothing special but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. Plenty of food when you order the Brunch for 2. read more

We stopped into Pepperwood last night on a drive back from Niagara. Traffic was heavy so we thought we'd wait it out for a bit by the waterfront. Portions were ENORMOUS! My boyfriend's poutine was enough to feed 4 people and the charcuterie plate I ordered was definitely a lot to eat. The food actually arrived before our drinks. Service was good, despite waiting for our drinks, but that could be the bartender's fault and not the server's. Hard to tell, but the person who brought our food asked us what we had ordered to drink and went to get it. So they're definitely on the ball. The menu was okay. Lots of pub favourites, pizzas and pastas. Nice location, but if we find ourselves in Burlington again, we might go somewhere else to sample more of the waterfront. read more

We were there on Tuesday night this week. WE had 26 people. Kathleen and Matt looked after our team. Kathleen ensured we got what we needed and were happy with her service. Nice job !!! Thanks so much Michelle read more

Met friends for dinner on their recommendation here last night and what a great spot. Very relaxing atmosphere with a fantastic wine selection. They started us with Balsamic and Olive Oil......with a homemade hummus in the mixture.......YUM - first time for me like that and i will be doing that at home. My gf and I decided to do share zzz's and split the Thai Chicken and a Curry dish. Super fresh, homemade with some kick, super tasty great service, great food - great pick....thx guys read more